Great Golf, Eagle Ridge Golf Club, Fort Myers, Florida

This was the first course we played when arriving in Fort Myers. Chris was not available to play so it was Rob, Dave and me. We had a bit of space before our tee-time so figured I would go to the snack-counter for a refreshement and a few moments of great conversation with Judy (not her real name), the hostess. Who, by the way, was very kind and made one hell of a chicken-salad sandwich. We chatted for about 15 or so minutes 'til I was yelled at to get on the tee by brother Dave. Since there was only three of us they put a single with us. His name was Jeff. Jeff was an airline pilot and strung a little tight. But in his defense, I wasn't on my best behavior. We had been joking around a bit, as brothers do and think that Jeff wasn't necessarily finding the humor in us. He was a more serious golfer than us......much more. At one point, joking around with him, I bumped his cart with my cart.......twice. In the process I also ran over Dave's foot, which in hindsight is even funnier now. He stormed out of his cart and said, "thats it, I'm done!" Of Course, I tried to apologize to him but he was having none of that and left to play with the group behind us. Sorry again Jeff and sorry Chris that you missed all the fun. Truthfully, I really wasn't all that sorry, he was kind of a stick in the mud. So about Eagle Ridge Golf Club, it was pretty fun. Not kept in the best of shape, but for the money (around $50) it was a pretty good deal. There is water all over the place and comes into play on about 16 of the 18 holes. The course stretches to about 6600 yards from the tips with a par of 72 and slope of 123. This is another Gordon Lewis design and was opened in 1984. The wait staff at this course is probably one of their best features. They really are very friendly which makes you smile heading to the first tee. Their website is http://www.playeagleridge.com/.

Great Golf, Shell Point Golf Club, Fort Myers, Florida

Now were talking! Dave, Rob, Chris, and I played Shell Point a lot! There were several reasons for this. The first was that is was pretty damn cheap for the amount of golf you could play. I think we paid somewhere around $59 which allows you to play as many times as you want, provided there is space. If you want to pay for the replay, you can schedule another tee-time, but thats pretty cheap too. The second, the course was just plain fun. Don't get me wrong there were some fairways that I could spit from one side to another but all-in-all very fair. The course is made up of condo-lined fairways and some tree-lined. Green and fairways, for the most part, were very nice. But was just one of those places you could just keep coming back to. This also was where we were introduced to the Vodka and Cranberry, thanks to....Dave. Normally he likes to set-sail with the Cap'n (Captain Morgan), but switched it up.....which was a refreshing treat...Rob was the man here on the first day.....if i recall, he pretty much kicked all of our asses. This is a Gordon Lewis design opening in 2000. There are many sets of tees with the furthest at approximately 6800 yards. Shell Points plays to a 133 slope and par 72 from the tips. Their website is http://www.shellpointgolf.com/.

Great Golf, Founders Club at St James Plantation, Southport, North Carolina

All I can say about this place is Man O Man! Talk about beautiful. So we are stressing out trying to get to this freaking course, which is in Southport. We finally get there just in the nick of time. Load up our bags and head out. We played the Reserve Club first and the Founders Club Second. There are four seperate 18's here and to get from one to another you have to get in your car and drive. The Reserve course was outstanding......fairways and greens were nice and tight. You almost lose yourself a bit in how nice it is........until you're hit in the chest with a beer and Dave says.....you were thirsty, right? Then the, "snap out of it gaylord and hit", comment. There are a lot of marshes on this 18 and you can go through a butt-load of golfballs, so keep a few handy. We finish up and grab a quick snack and head over to what used to be called....ready.....The Gauntlet. Pretty scarey, right? Its now called the Founders Club. After my snack I felt some gurgles.....we ate some super-hot wings at Papas Restaurant the night before, and had to hit the head. All I can say is chills with goose-bumps and sweat. When all was right with the world again, I come walking out and Chris comes over and gives me......"you look like you could use a hug", then gives me a hug. This keeps me laughing to myself for the next few holes or so. Anyway, this place was called the Gauntlet for good f&%$ing reason.......its pretty damn tough. But if you hit your shots and even miss a few, its fair. As you can imagine this course was incredible as well and very fun to play. Lots of marshes with fairly wide fairways take some of the stress away. The staff at both courses were great and gave us plenty of information to help us through the rounds. The Founders Club is a P.B. Dye Design and the Reserve Club a Nicklaus design. Both courses are a bit over 7000 yards from the tips with a par of 72 and slope of around 138-140....all from the tips......which we don't play from. Anyway these are not cheap courses but you can find internet specials. The website here is http://www.theclubsatstjames.com/. Good Luck here, you're gonna need it.

Great Golf, Woodland Valley Golf Club,Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Its mid-October and Dave, Chris and I decide to take a road-trip to Myrtle. While there we decided to play a course called Woodland Valley up in Loris, about 10 miles west of North Myrtle. Dave and I picked Chris up from the airport and drove right to this place....had time for a beer and headed over to the first tee. We are chatting with the starter for a few minutes and he is talking about the snakes. "Don't wander too far off into the woods looking for balls, the snakes don't like that much", is what he said. Alright, no problem, we'll keep to the course and not wander into the woods. Of course I'm playing like crap and hit half a dozen balls into the woods......the first on the first tee. So taking what the starter said with a grain of salt....went into the woods looking for my ball. Dave found it and popped it back out into the fairway. As a side-not the course was in great shape! Greens large, little hard so they were hard to hold. The fairways were fairly wide with very generous landing areas. All in all the course was in pretty damn good shape. So getting back to this snake thing......we have played maybe a half dozen holes, drinking our beer, enjoying the sunny day and come upon the sign above.........f%$#......they weren't f&%$ ing around! Oh...the name of the course before it was re-named to Woodland Valley is.....Rattlewood. Makes sense right? The staff is very informative and fun. The cost is reasonable, should be somewhere between $50 and $70 depending when you play. The course measures approximately 6900 from the tips with a slope of 139 and rating of 74. The web address is http://www.woodlandvalleycc.com/ and the phone is 1-866-304-8900. Oh, by the way, Dave shoots lights out......Chris and I.....we drink.

Great Golf, Ocean City Golf Club, Ocean City, Maryland

John B., a good friend of mine, called and asks if I wanted to play in the "Marty Party" or Martin J. Smith Memorial Golf Tournament in Ocean City. Now I had heard of the Marty Party because another friend of mine had been asking me for years to play. Unfortunately, in years past, I couldn't because we were usually at Penn National for the same weekend. Well, we didn't do the PN trip this year so decided to go. There are two courses here, the Seaside Course and the Newport Course. The Seaside Course, we played the second day in a haze from the night before where we imbibed heavily at Shenanigans. It took us a couple holes before we were able to get down the first beer. The name makes no sense since its not even close to water, was built in 1959 and is about 6600 Yards from the tips, has fairly open fairways and small greens. The par is 73 with a slope of 71 and the rating 113. As an older course its a bit rough around the edges. Now the Newport Course, Par 72 with a slope of 71 and rating of 126, we played the first day and had several holes running along water. The fairways were a bit tighter and the greens larger. Definitely this is the course to play out of the two. Its just nicer. We were playing a match here and with very little help from me, John putting his ass off, the skins hitting at the right times, we were able to squeak a few dollars from these guys. The funniest thing about this day, was the night.......really the morning. We were at Shenanigans again and had our fill of beer and food all day and decided to head back......we crashed and went to sleep. The next morning I am just getting out of the shower....maybe around 9 or so and hear a top of a beverage crack open. I'm thinking he's having a soda.....nope...not my man John......an ice cold Lite Beer from Miller........nice. Took me a few more hours to choke down my first one. Anyway, check this place out.......its fun, inexpensive and the people in the clubhouse are very, very accommodating. The cost is around $35 to $80 or so depending when you play. http://www.oceancitygolfclub.com/ For the record......I bought a new shirt to wear for these pictures. Seems I always have the same f&%$ shirt on every time.

Great Golf, Bulle Rock, Havre De Grace, Maryland

Bulle Rock Golf Course is located in Havre De Grace, Maryland. This course has been home to the LPGA Championship for the last two years and is expected to be there in 2009 as well. This is not a golf course for the average joe. It's hard and expensive. The cost is around $150 if you want to use a cart and slightly less if you want to walk. You have the option to use a caddy as well. We did.....mostly because I wasn't paying for it. The caddies come in very handy as they know where the ball needs to be placed and how to read the greens. Although its not like I ever put the ball where they told me. Anyway, it was one of the hottest days this summer with the humidity somewhere in the 90% range and we were all soaked. (see pic) We all had a few beers but mostly just tried to stay hydrated. The cigars were the toughest.....but we managed to choke them down, especially Tom who went through a couple. The fairways and greens were amazing. You almost didn't want to take a divot for fear of messing up the perfectly manicured fairway. For the most part Bulle Rock plays very fair. However, you don't want to wander too far from the fairway as the rough......is very, very rough and you will pay. Bulle Rock plays about 7375 yards from the tips and 6843 from the blues which is the men's tees. The slope and rating are 76.4/147 and 74/139 respectively. The Bulle Rock website is: http://www.bullerock.com/ and the phone number is 410-939-8887.

Great Golf, Moon Palace Golf Club, Cancun, Mexico

So my wife and I are on a short vacation to Cancun. This was our first time here. We stayed at one of those all inclusive places. Whatever, whenever and however much you wanted to eat or drink, it was there for the taking......even on the golf course. Needless to say, I gained a few pounds and put my liver through its paces. Moon Palace Golf Club has three seperate nines. It was built by Jack Nicklaus in 2003. We played the Jungle and the Lakes. The third nine is the Dunes. From what I understand, the Dunes is incredible. With that said, the Lakes/Jungle course stretches approximately 7200 yards from the tips, par 72 with a slope, from where we played, 130 or so. The Jungle course has a lot of woods and a fair amount of water. The woods here are unplayable. If you go in, you arent getting out....don't even try...its like a dense nest of trees.......couldn't get a backswing if you wanted too. In addition there are snakes and all sorts of other nasty things in there. On the Lakes side, almost every hole has water. If you go near the water be on the lookout.....there are aligators or crocodiles.....one of those two. The one thing that I noticed regardless of the two nines was the incredible amount of sandtraps. Although I may think there were so many of them because thats where I spent most of my time. In addition, the sand is that super-fluffy crap. I can't get out of that stuff to save my life. Needless to say, I didn't play well, but the course itself was in very good shape. Fairways and greens. There was just very little rough. If you were off the fairway, there wasn't a lot of room between you and water or woods. The cost is very pricey (About $200) if you are not in with a package. However, part of the price includes anything you want while on the course....sanwiches, beer, drinks etc. So while in Cancun and close to Moon Palace Resort, with a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket along with a desire to be humbled......give this place a shot. www.palaceresorts.com

Great Golf, Burning Ridge Golf Club, Myrtle Beach, SC

A very good friend of mine and my two sons enjoyed a sunny afternoon on this course. We had a tee-time at 1:15 or so but didn't get onto the course for an additional 20 minutes because there weren't enough carts. That's where the complaints end. The golf staff were very friendly and courteous. The inside restaurant ladies also were very nice and told them to look us up when in Maryland, we would have a crab-cake ready for them. The on-course beverage person, very nice and helpful.... I must say, in Coastal North or South Carolina, I have yet to have a crab-cake that didn't taste like crap. Anyway, Burning Ridge Golf Club, although not too long off the tee, is a shot-makers course. If your ball is not where it's suppose to be, you pay.......which I did....dearly. A traditional style layout with nice fairways and beautiful greens and lots of water......on lots of holes. My boys especially liked the course since they are young and are able to play from the ladies tees comfortably due to the generous distance the tees are moved forward. This makes the course very friendly to kids and ladies alike. Burning Ridge Golf Club was awarded 2006 Beach Course of the Year and was also honored as South Carolina Golf Course of the Year. From the tips this course plays approximately 6800 Yards is a Par 72 with a Rating of 73.9 and Rating of 128. In addition I would like to add that kids under 16 play for free with a paying adult....very nice. The contact info is 843-347-0538 and web address http://www.classicgolfgroup.com/. The cost ranges from $50 to $81 depending on the time of day and year. Also, thanks Richard......for hanging with Brad and kicking my ass!

Great Golf, Glen Dornach Golf Links, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

All I can say about this place is unbelievable. Man, from the time you get there to the time you leave the staff is incredibly courteous and helpful. The staff loaded the bags and we went inside to grab a snack before heading out. Of course the staff inside was just as amazing as those out...chatting away like we have known them our entire lives...love that stuff. Anyway this course reminds me of a traditional style course with tree-lined fairways and is "what you see is what you get" for the most part. There are some blind shots with the last hole being a real ball- buster. This thing is a dog-leg left over an environmental area. Although, if you can carry a drive 280+ you may be able to make it over on a direct shot. I don't have that shot unless I have about a 30 MPH wind behind me. So if you don't have that shot, like me, once you've hit your shot safe to the forced landing area, you still have about 190 to the green.........ball-buster. All in all the greens are amazing and true, the fairways plush.....just tough to say anything bad about this place. As a matter of fact, Zagat rated this course the most spectacular in Myrtle Beach in 2008 and Golf Digest rated Glen Dornoch as Top 10 Courses in South Carolina in 2005. The tips measure about 6900, the rating is 72 and the slope is 145.......not easy. The cost range anywhere from $60 t0 $160 depending upon the time of day and time of year you decide to play. Another nice thing about Glen Dornoch is that kids under 16 play for free. My daughter who is 14, birdied the par three 17th. Me, I played like crap. Glen Dornoch can be reached at 1-800-717-8784 and their website is http://www.glendornoch.com/. Have fun with this one!

Great Golf, Stoneybrook Golf Course, Fort Myers, Florida

Played Stoneybrook Golf Course with my brother and brother-in-law and a "tag-a-long" John who was an older gentleman......had him drinking by the fifth hole. Anyway, this course is long from the tips. It measures 7353 from way back with a 72 par and a 141 rating. The couse was opened in 1999. And thats about all there is regarding the accomplishments of this course. Don't get me wrong, this course had a lot of fun aspects to it but for the most part was "ho-hum".

I think because of the drought the fairways and greens were in fairly rough shape. Although this course, I think, can be cedited with where I may have made my worst golf shot. I am a right to left player and am standing on the tee-box of a par 4 with a driver. The wind is blowing right to left. There is water down the left, water right (but not in play) and over the water on the right is a line of houses. My drive is hit so far right, it is almost perpendicular to the tee-box and I think may have bounced off the front roof of one of those houses. My brother Dave looks at me and says "what the f%$# was that! That has got to be the worst shot I have ever seen!" Lost that hole.

Now the one very nice thing about this course is the beer special........$12 for 6 beers. Now you must admit you can't find that kind of deal anywhere. And after that shot.....I needed one.

The cost of Stoneybrook is $60 to $120 depending upon when you play. The link to the course is: http://www.stoneybrookgolffm.com/

Great Golf, River Hall Country Club, Alva Florida

River Hall Country Club is located about a thirty miles north of Fort Myers. This is a brand new Davis Love III designed course that stretches over 7000 Yards from the tips....which we didn't play. Currently as of March, you could play here as a "Member for the Day" for $39 per person. The catch here is that at least one person has to sit through one of those sales presentations about buying property. The good part is that it only takes about an hour and the voucher they give you is good for up to four people. Regarding the course....it is beautiful. It is not tricked up at all and sits right in front of you. The fairways are wide and the greens incredible and hold well. We were lucky enough to play two rounds. Thank goodness we had enough libation to last that long. The cart person was most kind to have her picture taken with my ugly mug. She was very friendly and courteous.

About three quarters of the way through the second round we had a sudden down-pour which sent us to the closest rest-room area......complete with a small covered area, ice and water. Perfect set-up for a little party....which we had. For right now this place is well worth the ticket price. I would imagine that in time, it will go private and you won't even have the opportunity to play. Until then, it is well worth the cost and a lot of fun to play. The web address is http://www.riverhall.cc/

Great Golf, Heather Glen Golf Links, Myrtle Beach, SC,

This was our last golf day before leaving and apparently, without knowing it, saved the best for last. Man this place is incredible. Opened in 1987 and is a Scottish style links course. There are three 9's. We ended up playing all three nines. Depending on the 18 that you play the course stretches to around 6800 yards from the tips, par 72 and a slope of 134. The costs range from $50 to $120 depending upon the time of year. Most of the holes are shot-makers. I mean you have got to put the ball in the right spot or you are screwed. Fun, tight, true course. The clubhouse is pretty cool too....like a english tudor. Anyway, ended up playing with two guys from Canada, Peter and Phil. Peter, not a big guy, could "rip it" when he caught it. Now Phil, Holy Crap! This guy from the second he starts his swing until the ball winses in pain.......it going to go a long way! These guys were great and fun to play with. We had no intention of drinking until they started buying beer from the cart person (above), then we had to return the favor and so on and so on......

Heather Glen was Golf Digests #1 New Public Course in 1987, their top 5 in 1995 and gave them 4 star places to play in 2005. Not too shabby. The course link is http://www.heatherglen.com/.

Great Golf, Oyster Bay Golf Links, Sunset Beach, NC

Oyster Bay Golf Links is one of those golf courses that is just fun! It is a par 70 traditional style course that plays about 6700 yards from the tips with a slope of 134. The cost ranges from $75 to $120 depending on the time of year. The rates could be even lower if you play twilight. Beautiful greens, immaculate fairways and two island greens that test the nerves. So my brother and I are several beers into the round with cigars going and just enjoying the day and the course. I'm driving, minding my own business, and sipping on a beer. As we come up to the tee-box, Dave stands up right as I am stopping the cart. He grabs the windshield as support. Unfortunately, the windshield is not attached and he goes out and over the front of the cart. Instead of asking him if he is alright, I tell him not to move so I can snap a picture. In addition the beverage servers are very friendly and knowledgable.

Oyster Bay was named Golf Digest Resort Course of the year in 1983 and had them ranked in the top 50 Golf Courses in 1990. The website is http://www.legendsgolf.com/. This is a very fun course.

Great Golf, Greencastle Greens, Pennsylvania

From time to time you run into one of those courses that flat out surprises you. When the fellas and I started going to Penn National for a weekend of play, we needed a friday round course. Something that was close, fun and cheap. Greencastle Greens is located in Greencastle, Pennsylvania not too far from Carlisle. The course was built in 1991, is approximately 6900 yards from the tips, with a slope of 129 and a rating of 72.6. We usually pay about $28 on friday and half again if you want a replay....which we almost always do. The course itself uses a lot of the terrain and on many holes very scenic. Greens and fairways are usually in excellent shape. The tees on the other hand could use some attention. If there is the slightest rain, they turn into a mud-pit......for the most part. The staff are typically very helpful and if desired will completely stay out of your way. We enjoy the fact that Greencastle is a dry township which affords anyone the ability to bring your own alcohol to the course........which is nice........always. I assure you, if you are in the area this is a course that you absolutely must plan. A great pick for the average joe golfer. http://www.greencastlegreensgolfclub.com/ The phone number is 1-717-597-1188.

Great Golf, Greystone Golf Course, White Hall. Maryland

Back in the late 1990's a premier golf course opened in nothern Baltimore County. It was designed by Joe Lee, the designer of Doral Resorts Blue Monster. It was billed as one of the best golfing expreriences around. At that time, we just weren't ready for this type of upscale course. The costs were high, around $75-$100 at that time to play, if I recall. Greystone did not do well. Around 1999-2000 the course was acquired by Baltimore Municipal Golf and became their premier public golf course. Now the costs are in the Mid $50's to play during the week. Twilight are in the mid 30's but because of their late twilight times you won't be able to get around unless you are speedy gonzales and you don't have anyone holding you up. Greystone is a very nice track with 5 sets of tees and the furthest stretches the course to a bit over 6900 yards. From the tips the rating is 73.5 with a slope of 139. There is typically a bevarage cart but stock up, it takes a while for her to make her way around again. The hardest hole for me, is the one pictured. It is not a long home but you have a forced layup at about 230 yards then about 150 over water to the green. It's not a that tough of a hole but I think it just gets in my head a bit. If I get away with a bogey I am happy here. Anyway, the course is very fun to play and is friendly for all handicappers. You can find them at www.baltimoregolfing.com then go to Greystone Golf Course. By the way Golfweek rated this course as one of the top 30 municipal golf courses...........very nice.

Great Golf, Musket Ridge Golf Club, Myersville, Maryland

So a good friend of mine won a foursome to Musket Ridge Golf Club (www.musketridge.com), located in Myersville, Maryland about 45 minute drive from the Baltimore Beltway. I wasn't too fired up to play here because it is more than a hours drive from my home. Anyway, we got there fairly early and decided to do some practice putting. The practice green was in prestine shape......absolutely perfect. I thought to myself that if the rest of the course is as nice as this green, we are in for a great day! The course for us was approximately 6400 yards with a rating of 71.1 and a slope of 130. From the tips it plays about 6900 yards with a rating of 73 and a slope of 140. In all there are four sets of tees, another for seniors and one for women. It does not play super-tough but you must make good shots to keep yourself out of the crap and throwing up a high number. The one thing I remember specifically about playing here was the rough. It was very thick and would catch your club and reduce head speed to almost nothing. Note to self.......keep it in the fairway. Another thing you will notice is that Musket Ridge Golf Club has remarkable views of the Catoctin and Blue Ridge Mountains. These are a nice backdrop as you are shanking it into the water. The cost is very reasonable for this course........Weekend twilight, after 12:00, is $45 and during the week $35. Regulars costs are $69 on the weekend and $49 during the week. This place is well worth the drive. Let me know your best golf for the average Joe. By the way, a beverage cart would be a nice addition here......

Great Golf, The Links at Gettysburg, Gettysburg, PA

Each year good friends of mine (Brent, Randy and John) and I play in a charitable golf outing at The Links At Gettysburg. As a matter of fact we are the reigning champions. Last year we took first place much to the suprise of us and everyone else. It was just one of those days where we all came together and John, was hitting shots most golf pros would admire. This is one of those courses where you look out and can see a bunch of holes. As a matter of fact, there is one hole...maybe the 7th (forgive me if I get this wrong.....too much drinking), where you are perched high above the fairway looking over several different holes that converge.......very nice. By the way on this hole John launches one right down the middle about 310......when he gets it, man does he get it. Now, the year before last either Randy or Brent hit a nice drive down the middle, I hit the next shot about 40 yards from the green (its a par 5) for our safety shot. John pulls out his driver. I said, what the hell you doing? Hitting my shot he said and proceeded to knock it on the back of the green.....which was about 260 away....and....... after sinking the putt...we made eagle. Every year during this tournament at The Links at Gettysburg, the same thing happens......they run out of Miller Lite, Bud Light, Amstel Light and Amstel and have nothing left but stinkin' Budwiser and a local beer called Jacobs Best. Which ought to be called Jacobs worst becuase, frankly, it tastes like crap. Don't let them con you into buying any of this stuff........good Lord it's bad. Anyway, this course can play long from the tips especially when it has just rained or the wind is up. At close to 7000 yards, its a long way to go even when it hasn't rained. The par is 72 and the slope is 140 with a rating of 73.9. There are many different tee boxes to suit anyone's handicap. There are some fantasic holes with sheer rock walls as backdrops to many of the greens, drivable par 4's, which John drives, and as mentioned a couple holes where you are perched high above the fairway.....you will love it. During the offseason you can get around here for $40 or so including cart. During the week and at twilight after 2PM it going to run you about $53. If you want to play at peak time during the weekend, double that. It is more than worth the price at $53. I don't think its worth $80. Give the Links at Gettysburg a shot if you are in the area. (www.thelinksatgettysburg.com) If you have a course you think is a good pick for the average Joe....let me know.

Great Golf, Pine Ridge Golf Course, Towson, Maryland

My brothers and sisters (there is eight of us all together) have been trying to make it a point to hit a local course the day after Thanksgiving. This year we decided on Pine Ridge Golf Course. Pine Ridge (www.bmgcgolf.com) is located in Towson, Maryland and opened in 1958. It has hosted several PGA and LPGA tournaments including the Greater Baltimore Classic, The Eastern Open and the Lady Carling Open. Speaking of carling, we had all sorts of stuff flowing during this round.....a little Captain, a few beers....very nice. During this time of year beer stays nice and cold in the bag. Anyway, Nancy Lopez won her second professional tournament here. Pine Ridge is located on the Loch Raven watershed and is home to tons of deer and geese. Don't be suprised if you see a bunch during your round, they are all over. The great thing about this course is that it is playable for everyone. They have different tee boxes depending upon your handicap. From the tips Pine Ridge Golf Course measures approximately 6800 yards and from the mens tees about 6400. The slope is 123. You will want to call well in advance to book a tee time as they do fill up rather quickly. If there is rain in the forecast or it has just rained, wear your waterproof shoes because it gets sloppy out there. There are tons of holes that run along or near the water. Since the course is a traditional style, you are either hitting down a shoot of trees or over/along water. I can't say enough good things about this place. Oh, by the way, the cost at its most expensive is $45 including cart. However, depending upon the time of day and year, you can get around for $25-$30 no problem. If I can't convince you to play this place, just look at the picture....man o man.....beautiful. I am starting to run out of great golf courses for the average joe.....I need help.

Great Golf, Mystic Rock, Farmington, Pennsylvania

Not too far from Deep Creek Lake, Maryland is one of the most spectacular golf courses peeps like you and me would die to play. It is located in a small town in southern Pennsylvania called Farmington. Mystic Rock (www.nemacolin.com), located in the Nemacolin resort is plush. You may remember that this is the course for the 84 Lumber Classic and one of John Daly sponsors....84 Lumber that is. If I'm not mistaken the same guy that owns the 84 Lumber also owns Nemacolin and Mystic Rock. While my brother was here visiting from Australia, the brothers......all 5 of them and I headed out to play this incredible chuck of green and mean. I will tell you that Dave was making his Captain and Cokes that day and somewhere after the 13 or 14th hole, things started getting a bit hazy. If I recall, the greens are super fast, the rough is deep and nasty.....which I was in often, but the fariways are nice, nice, nice.......great to hit from. The tips stretch this course out to over 7500 yards with a par of 72 and slope of....get this.....153. There are other sets of tees for the rest of us. Mystic Rock and Nemacolin has been named as one of the 75 best resorts in America by Golf Digest, Americas 100 best resort courses by Golf Week and received a 4.5 stars from Golf Digest. Not too shabby. What does suck about this course is the price tag...we played in the afternoon at twilight and paid about $100....it could be slightly more depending upon the time of year. I would say that this is a bit steep for this average joe, but maybe you can find a coupon and play on the cheap. In either regard, it is well worth the trip and cash. Don't forget to let me know where your best golf for the average joe is.

Great Golf, Wisp Golf Club, Oakland, Maryland

Usually once a year the majority of my brothers and sisters will try to get together for a week of summer fun at Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland. During the summer they have all the lake activities, skiing, knee-boarding, wake-boarding etc. In addition, we all play golf and getting together to play is always a treat. My brother Dave is famous for his Captain Morgan and Coke. It's not the actual blend of the drink but the love he puts into it. What I mean by love is a lot of the Captain and very little Coke. Playing with Dave, the ship gets onto the high seas pretty quick. For the most part, these guys (my brothers) can pretty much kick my ass at will. However, it never discourages me from my $3-$3-$3 (front, back and total) wager. During the winter months the course, or at least a part of it, has skiers on it and is called the Wisp Ski Resort. Therefore, you can understand the terrain we are talking about. This is a beautiful traditional style course with many tree lined fairways. The greens are fast and true, the fairways are plush and tee-boxes well groomed. Wisp Golf Club(http://www.golfwisp.com/) is a par 72 measuring 6911 from the tips with a slope of 141. Golf Digest named this the 7th best public course in 1996. You will find yourself staring at the beauty of the holes. This course is flat out fun to play. Hope you get a chance to play here if out in Western Maryland.

Great Golf, Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links, Maryland

So I'm sitting in my office in the middle of January with no less than a foot of snow on the ground thinking that it's going to be a long time before I get the clubs out again. A friend of mine makes a trip to Ocean City, Maryland each year with a bunch of guys and their spouses leaving the kids at home to deflate a bit. By deflating I mean hitting the bars, staying up too late and sleeping in....then doing it all over again the next day. I, and my wife, have been asked to join them on several occasions but have always decided to opt-out for various reasons. Tom called me at the perfect moment of weakness. "You know it's going to be 60 degrees here tomorrow", he said. "Tom, there is a foot of snow on the ground". "Not here and we have a tee-time at Rum Pointe in the morning". No sooner did he say that, than I was out the door. I live in the northern part of Maryland and Ocean City is southeast towards the Atlantic. As I am driving there, the snow is slowly disappearing. Sure enough by the time I get there, no snow and warm! What a beautiful course! Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links is located along the Sinepuxent Bay. Most of the holes have some sort of bay view. The tees and fairways are all bent grass and were in incredible shape. Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links is a P.B. Dye course stretching over 7000 yards from the tips and has a slope of 122. I thought this was a pretty low slope for a course that played this difficult. Don't get me wrong, it is not unplayable for the average joe, but there are much easier courses I played with much higher slopes. The best time to play, cost-wise, is after 1:00 pm. During their twilight time the cost is approximately $55. Not too shabby for this level of golf. Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links (www.rumpointe.com) received a 4.5 stars from Golf Digest, ranked number 5 in the state by Golf Week and voted top 100 courses by Washington Golf Monthly. So, if you are in the area, give this place a shot.....you won't be sorry. Remember, let me know your favorite place to play.....for the average joe.

Great Golf, Montrose Golf Course (Medal Course), Aberdeen, Scotland

Montrose Golf Course is located near Aberdeen, on the middle eastern part of Scotland and boasts the 5th oldest course in the world! There is documented recordings that the course dates back to 1562. That is impressive. Of course there is tons of history to this course and to try and even scratch the surface would be damn near impossible. So I will hit you with the highlights. In 1810 Montrose Golf Course formed themselves into a club. At one time, the club had 25 holes. In 1866, T. Doleman, playing the 25 hole event, won the first open championship held at Montrose with Willie Park coming in second. The purse was 10 pounds. The course for many, many, many years was free to local citizens. However, due to the game needing to be more refined with cups, flag-sticks, mowing of the grass etc., the club needed to start charging for play. Montrose Golf Course has hosted many important events. Most recently was the Scottish Professional Championship in 1966 and 1967, the Scottish Amateur Championship in 1975, and was the qualifying course for the Open Championship held at Carnoustie and will be again in 2007. The course itself is approximately 6500 yards with a par of 71. The cost to play a round during the weekday is approximately 40 pounds and on the weekend approximately 45 pounds. To get dollar costs, you can estimate by doubling the pound amount. Not a bad deal for all that history. Anyway if you are in Scotland and you want to play an excellent links style course with a ton of history for a reasonable price-tag, put Montrose Golf Course, (http://www.montroselinks.co.uk/) on the list. Don't be shy, let me know about your favorite places to play!

Great Golf, Brora Golf Club, Sutherland, Scotland

The Brora Golf Club is located in the northeast of Scotland and was established in 1891 and re-designed by James Braid in 1923. James Braid is a well known golf course designer in Scotland and is also a five time Open Champion. Brora Golf Club is a fair and challenging test for all skill levels. Interestingly this course was designed in the classic format: There is a fairly easy opening hole, a short hole facing each main compass direction, at least one hole you can't reach in two and the closing hole's green below the window of the clubhouse. At the Brora Golf Club you will find a relatively short 18 holes playing at 6110 Yards with a par of 70. Brora Golf Club (www.broragolf.co.uk) This course has many special and memorable holes; the beautiful view of the sea from the second tee, the closeness of the sea from the 9th green and the lighthouse that give you the line of drive on 17th tee and is considered by many as one of the best driving holes in all of Scotland. The cost is a good value at 30 pounds or approximatley $60 during the week and 35 Pounds or $70 during the weekend. Not too bad for Scotland golf! Well worth the play if you are in the area. As always, please leave your great golf course for the average joe.

Great Golf, The Bridges Golf Club, Abbottstown, Pennsylvania

Not too far from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the epitome of Great Golf for the average joe. The course, The Bridges Golf Club (www.thebridgesgc.com), is a great test of golf skill, excellent facilities, and very inexpensive to play. The fairways, for the most part, are tree lined. You will also find marshes and wetlands that you will either need to go over or run along side of......and hopefully you won't go into. In addition there are several holes that water will come into play. This is probably one of the truest tests of the game around. It is a very fair course, not too demanding.....but if you don't keep it in the short stuff you will find yourself posting a high number. The Bridges Golf Club is a 6713 yard par 72 traditional course. From the tips the slope is 133. The clubhouse is an old 1800's furniture factory........very cool. The Bridges received a four star rating from Golf Digest and is ranked by Washington Golf Magazine as one of the 100 best courses in the Mid-Atlantic area. Oh, by the way, it gets its name from all of the Bridges that are needed to get over and through the marshes and wetlands. One of them, on the second hole is an old, wood covered bridge. This is where my golf buddies and I stop and hold hands.......just before digging out our first beer from the bag. Here is the good part......the cost is $43 with cart on weekdays.......$34 if you play twilight and $50 on the weekend. For this quality of golf, it is worth every penny. Anyway, if you are in the area you must check this course out. As always, let me know where your........ great golf for the average joe is.

Great Golf, Falcon Ridge Golf Club, Mesquite, Nevada

So we were in Mesquite, Nevada.....which is about an hour north of the Vegas Strip, and had just finished shooting skeet at the Oasis Gun Club. We needed to rush to make our twilight tee-time at Falcon Ridge Golf Club. Originally we wanted to play Wolf Creek Golf Course again because it was so damn fun. However, they were closed because they were aerifying. Once we stocked up on refreshment at Walmart, we headed over to the course........yep, Walmart sells beer in Nevada. This course was just a ton of fun to play. The front nine was a bit docile with fairly straight forward shots. But the back nine....man....lots of great holes. Reminded be a bit of Wolf Creek Golf Course. They used a lot of the canyon and mesa's to make great holes. You will find yourself standing on the tee-box wondering how the hell they made a hole out of this mess.....but they did....and it is pretty amazing golf. The course is not too long at approximately 6550 yard, par 71. Now I may be a bit hazy on the amount we paid, but if memory serves, it wasn't any more than $25...including cart. However, according to their site(http://www.golffalcon.com/), it states we should have paid $45. This is still a deal for this course. If you are in Mesquite you must play Falcon Ridge Golf Course and Wolf Creek Golf Course. You can bag Oasis Golf.......pretty crappy. As always, let me know of a course you this is great golf at a reasonable cost.

Great Golf, The Dunes Golf Links, Melbourne, Australia

My brother lives in Melbourne. He, being a graphic designer, looks at golf courses a bit different than I do. He sees natural beauty and all the different things that make that up. In addition he perceives the contours and undulations, the greens of the grasses etc. Me, I wonder how to sneak beer in, how much the greens fees are going to set me back, and where the worst possible place to hit my ball is......which is exactly where I often wind up. Joe told me of several great, fairly inexpensive courses to play. The Dunes Golf Links was one of them. (http://www.thedunes.com.au/) The Dunes Golf Links is located in "The Cups" region of the Mornington Peninsula, adjacent to the Bass Strait. The course is a links style, Par 72, 6,409 Meters or about 7,010 yards from the tips. The Dunes Golf Links was voted Australia's #1 public access course and #17 in Australia's top 50 Golf Courses in 2006 by Golf Australia Magazine. With this kind of pedigree, The Dunes Golf Links is truly a worthwhile course to play. The cost to play 18 holes, with cart, during the weekend is approximately $80 US and about $64 US during the week. I, being cheap, would probably play mid-week and twilight for a bit less than the $64. Anyway, if your near the Mornington Peninsula, with clubs in tow, stop in for a quick 18. Also, they do have stay and play packages that you can check into by going to their site. As always, let me know of any courses you think are worthy of the "great golf for the average Joe" stamp of approval.

Great Cheap Golf, Bangsai Country Club, Bangkok, Thailand

The following article is compliments of Mark Siegel, Managing director of www.golfasian.com.

In response to several readers’ comments doubting the intention of this Thailand golf blog, I thought it good to finish my writing on value golf and review a golf course that I just plain enjoy, and one which my Thailand golf vacation company does not have any commercial dealing with.
No doubt about it, 600 baht (approximately $17 US) for weekday green fee at Bangsai Country Club is a bargain and this course is a real treat. The clubhouse is most unspectacular, but if you don’t mind that and have come to play golf then you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.
It takes about 70 minutes to reach Bangsai Country Club from Bangkok and you need to be sure you know where you are going, because finding the course isn’t easy, especially if it's your first time and you are running close to your appointed tee time. Speaking of tee times, here is an insider’s hint! They are relatively easy to come by and even if it’s full, the starter will most likely get you out if you smile and ask nicely. Fifty baht does not hurt either, everyone does it and although it causes slow play, TIT!!!!
Course conditions are generally excellent, much better than the inexpensive green fee might suggest. The only real complaint would be that sometimes off the fairways, the rough is little rough around the edges (no pun intended), like some municipal courses in the USA. The greens are better than average, not super fast but they roll true. If you navigate properly over the undulations and large breaks you will be happy with the results. All of the tee boxes are flat and level and the grass is cut sufficiently so that you can tee the ball easily.
The real beauty of the course lies in its design, one of the most unique and varied in Bangkok. The only real ‘nothing hole’ is the first, but other than that, there’s some excellent holes, including the 2nd which is my favorite par 4 in Bangkok. Every other hole on the course offers up something different.
There is a humongous waste area separating the 3rd and 4th and 5th holes that reminds me of a Scottish glen and is a feature I have never come across on any other golf course in Asia. The waste area comes into play often and makes these 3 holes, taken together, one of the best challenges around from a series of holes. The waste bunker is far enough off the 3rd fairway, that if you happen to get yourself in there, you deserve to be penalized. It comes into play more often on the 4th, a short par 4, and its longer par 4 sister, the 5th. On these 2 holes the waste area juts right into the fairway in a blind manner and catches many otherwise good tee shots. Even having said that, its very possible you will have a good lie in this sand/waste area and be able to play a reasonable recovery shot.
The Par 3’s are all great holes, varying in length, design and shot strategy. The par 5’s are all reachable in two from the white tees for longer hitters, but they require two good shots to give yourself a chance at birdie and you can easily make a bogey if you’re not careful and/or play a bad shot. Water and hazards are prevalent, although not so much so that higher handicappers will have a hard time.
For an inexpensive day’s golf, Bangsai Country Club can’t be beaten. It’s without a doubt the best value for money in Bangkok and one of the best course designs in Thailand. If anyone has any best value course favorites, please let everyone know by posting a comment here of if you prefer send me an email at my Thailand golf vacation company and I will take care of the posing duties.

Thanks Mark for the great course!

Great Golf, Thai Country Club, Bangkok, Thailand

The Thai Country Club, opened in 1996, is just 50 minutes South East of Bangkok and managed by the Peninsula hotel group. It is home each year to the Asian Volvo Masters and constantly rated as one of the top 10 courses in Asia. If you have not played here, you need to try at least once.
Golfing at Thai Country Club is a total experience. From the moment you drive up and are greeted by your caddie, to the second you depart after enjoying the luxurious clubhouse facilities you feel like you have been at a 5 star hotel and golf resort. The service and quality are second to no other golf course that I know of, not only in Thailand, but anywhere in the world!
The most notable holes are the 230yd 16th, which is as difficult a par 3 as you can find anywhere and the spectacular par 5, 4th, a long dogleg with a lake surrounding the well guarded green. The hole is especially fun as this is one of the few holes in golf where both long and regular hitters can actually have a go at reaching the green in two shots.
In addition, the relatively short par 4, 10th is where Tiger Woods drove the 340 yards to the green when he won the 1997 Asian Honda Classic. Standing on this tee box makes you appreciate the caliber of the professionals who have played at Thai Country as well as the challenge of the course, plus get in a little golf dreaming at the same time.
The only fact that breaks the dream into reality is that on that memorable day in 1997, Tiger not only missed the eagle putt, but also the birdie and had to settle for a 3 putt par 4.
Other points about the course are the new sea paspalum greens which are kept in top condition, especially leading up to tournaments, and have matured over the past 2 years when they were completely renovated to a point that they roll almost perfect. It is pure joy to be putting on such fast and beautiful greens. The rest of the course is kept in matching conditions. Perfectly groomed fairways and tee boxes are evident on every hole. For any golf traveler to Bangkok, the Thai Country Club should be first on your MUST PLAY list, it is a true total golf experience!. (www.thaicountryclub.com)

The preceding was write-up from Mark Siegel, managing director of

ttp://www.golfasian.com/. Thanks Mark! As a side-note....according to my calculations, the cost to play would be approximately $86 to $144, depending on the time you play. This is usually a bit more than I am willing to pay, but for world-class golf, I may make an exception.

Great Golf, Nags Head Golf Links, Outer Banks, North Carolina

The only thing I can say about this course is.....Hol....eee....Crap! Here is this course that from the tips plays 6126 yards. I know what your thinking.........you're a pussy. True........but a course this short should not be that tough. On a 190 yard par 3, I hit 5 wood and came up about 40 yards short. Then I hit my driver, just for fun, and just barely landed on the front of the green. Parts of the course run along the Roanoake Sound and when the wind is blowing, even ever so slightly, add a half dozen strokes onto your card......it is tough, tough, tough. The course itself is a scottish links style course with sea grasses and dunes all over.......very pretty. Nags Head Golf Links is just plain fun to play. It definitely forces you to be creative on almost every shot. I don't recall the course being plush but the greens were defintely true and receptive. If you are going to play Nags Head Golf Links in the summer, the cost can run you $125 at the most. However, if you play after 2:00 you can knock that down to $65 or $75. This is what we did. Tough for me to ever justify paying more than $75 to play a round of golf. If you hit Nags Head Golf Links (www.nagsheadgolflinks.com) on the off-season you can pay as low as $50. As always if you are in the area, give it a shot and let me know how badly it kicked your ass......just like it did mine. I would stay away from The Pointe Golf Course......unless you like straight, back and forth, golf. Let me know where your greatest course is without it costing an arm and a leg.

Great Golf, Sand Barrens Golf Club, Swainton, New Jersey (Near Cape-May)

My brother and I decided to go on vacation together with our respective families. If you have never been to Ocean City, New Jersey you must give it a go. This place is very family friendly. There are parks, a boardwalk, putt-putt golf, kiddie carnival rides, and a huge beach to name a few attractions. I will caution you that Ocean City, New Jersey is a dry town. In other words, they don't sell liquor. However, you can bring it in or hit one of the other adjacent towns to wet your whistle. Sand Barrens Golf Club (www.sandbarrensgolf.com) is located approximately 12 miles southwest of Ocean City and 3 miles west of Avalon, New Jersey in a town called Swainton. There are 27 holes total and all of them stretch over 3400 yards from the tips. During this round of golf, I was introduced to the Capn'..............Captain Morgan. We are standing on the first tee and I noticed two things. The first was that there was a lot of sand. The second was that my brother used half a bottle of Captain Morgan in our drinks. We hit our drives and set sail. The sand thing pretty much held true through the entire course......lots and lots of sand. You will also notice excellent use of water as well. The fairways are plush and the greens are firm and receptive. According to the club pro, the north nine is the toughest, the south is the prettiest and the west is a player favorite. Another nice feature of Sand Barrens Golf Club is the GPS system. It is alway nice knowing exactly how far you are from the pin. The cost to play ranges from a low of $40 including cart in the low season and a high of $120 in the peak season at the peak time. If I recall, I think we paid somewhere in the $60 range. If you are on vacation in the Avalon, Ocean City, Cape May area this is a must play golf course. As always, please leave me some information on your favorite place to play and I will do some research and a write-up.

Great Golf, Thistle Golf Club, North Myrtle Beach, North Carolina

Some very good friends of ours had invited us and another family to join them for a week in North Myrtle Beach. We had already taken our summer vacation so I was a bit reluctant to take more time off work. My wife conviced me with two things: spending some time with great friends and unlimited golf. Yep, that's right, she said I could play golf any time. If you didn't know, Myrtle Beach is golf Mecca. The other two golfers were Richard and Jim. Richard's family owns the vacation home where we stayed. Jim, an excellent golfer, had the same deal I did regarding the golf. Richard, also a great golfer, on the other hand, had a bit more control and decided only to play about 3 times. The idea was if we played early enough in the morning 6:00 to 6:30 we should be back home and ready to hit the beach by 10:30. In North Myrtle Beach, you can throw a stone in any direction and hit a course, so we were always 15 minutes from home. This was one of those times Richard decided not to play. So Jim and I packed our bags with beer (I know its early, but we're on vacation!) and headed to the course. We arrived and hit first tee. Normally they would have put us with two other players, but in the summer time the courses are usually not as crowded. If you really want to get on a course in Myrtle without any problem....try the middle of summer and in the afternoon........there is nobody there and the rates are at their lowest. Most people either consider it too hot to play golf or they are at the beach. Alright, so Jim and I are standing on the first hole and there is so much fog you can barely see 50 Yards, however the starter was still letting us hit after about 15 minutes of the people in front of us teeing off. After the first couple holes, you can tell this place was just pristine. The Thistle Golf Club's (www.thistlegolf.com) fairways were immaculate, the greens were fast and contoured and the bunkers were perfectly located. I recall one hole in particular, a dog leg right par 5, where you could hit straight out maybe 220 and play it safe, or you could go over water and bite off as much as you could handle to give you a shot at the green in two. It was a great "risk/reward" hole. There are a lot of memorable holes at Thistle Golf Club....too many to mention. I can tell you that the cost is very affordable. Depending upon the time of year and time of day, fees range from $55 to $115. This includes the use of cart and a free yardage book. Thistle Golf Club has 27 holes and plays approximately 7,000 yards from the tips. There are four sets of tee's so you can find those that best suits your game. Thistle Golf Club takes its name from an Ancient Scottish Golf Society dating back to the early 1800's. The course itself would be considered links style complete with heather and wild flowers. If you are in North Myrtle Beach, you have got to try Thistle Golf Club. Also, let me know of those courses you have played that are great to play but don't break the bank!

Great Golf, Horizons Golf Resort, New South Wales, Australia

LeMeilleur Horizons Golf Resort (www.horizons.com.au/) in New South Wales, Austraila, opened in December 1992. This golf resort was built on, what used to be, wetlands bounding the crystal blue waters of Port Stephens. When the golf course was built, it was done so keeping the wetlands as a preserve for native birds and animals. The golf course layout which was designed by Graham Marsh and Ross Watson, is a 6187 meter, par 72 layout. Horizons Golf Resort is ranked as the #2 resort course in New South Wales and #32 of Autralia's top 100 courses by Australia's golfing fraternity. The cost to play is approximtely $89, including cart, whether you play during the week or weekend. If you would like to stay and play they have packages from $150 which include a breakfast, one nights lodging and round of golf with cart. Since the resort has access to all the benefits of Port Stephens and the beautiful white sandy beaches, resort guest may arrange: dune quad biking, sand boarding, go karting, and even horse riding. If the water is your game, snorkling, diving, water skiing, jet skiing, wind-sufing is also available. If you have an opportunity, and are in the area, make this a stop on your golf tour. As always, lumber on up to the keyboard and let me know which is your favorite great golf course to play. Thanks Robyne for the tip on this course! www.creativewritintravel.blogspot.com

Great Golf in Cornwall UK

I received this lead on great golf in the UK from Robyne who is a travel agent (http://www.creativewritintravel.blogspot.com) in Sydney, Australia. Although I have never played there, she had mentioned that some of her friends raved about Trevose Golf and Country Club in Cornwall, UK. After doing a bit of research, this place is quite impressive. This course is family owned and is a frequent getaway for politicians (don't let that deter you) and sportsman alike. As a matter of fact Edward the VIII and his brother George VI played the course back in the 1930's. There are three courses: The Championship Course which is 18 holes and opened in 1925, was designed by famed architech Harry Colt.....this is the same guy who designed Muirfield and Wentworth to name a couple, The Headland Course which is 9 holes and finally The Short Course which is par 3/4 executive style.....that is excellent for junior and beginners. The entire club is located on the North Cornish Coast overlooking the beautiful Constantine Bay. Besides the golf, there are wonderful accomodations ranging from two people dormy flats, four people luxury flats and five person chalets. There is a large restaurant completely stocked with fine food and wine. After dinner you can enjoy a game of snooker (whatever that is?), pool or table tennis......now your talking. In addition, if golf isn't your game.....or is and you want a change of pace, check out the tennis courts or hang out in the outdoor heated swimming pool. If you would like to tap into your more adventurous side, you can try a bit of surfing, sailing or windsurfing. By the way horse-riding is also available in St. Merryn. The cost for just the Golf on the Champioship Course is approximately $80-$120 depending on the time of year you play. This seems like a bargain considering it is hosting The Brabazon in 2008! Also, if you are staying on-site, the cost for golf is less.(www.trevose-gc.co.uk/) For more exact rates on the different courses take a quick look on their site. Man, what a beautiful place! As always, don't be a stranger, let me know of a course you would like to rave about! Thanks again, Robyne from Sydney.

Great Golf, Kissimmee Golf Club, Kissimmee Florida

This is a great story. I got a weeks stay in Orlando in a silent auction. My wife and I decided that February was a great time for a nice, "just us", get-away. So we pawned off the kids and headed to warm, sunny Florida. Did you know that you can get through Universal Studios theme park in about two hours when you don't have the kids? That was a lot of fun. My wife does not play golf but thankfully, she is wonderful, and enjoys hanging out with me while I do? She likes meeting other people we team up with and getting to know them. So I am stuffing the beer in the bag, getting ready to throw the clubs in the car and my wife asks "which course are we heading to today?" "Kissimmee Golf Club", I said. This is a municipal golf course, very near Orlando, that I wasn't thinking was going to be much of anything. Well, turns out, I was right. The pro-shop, I beleive, was a double-wide (no offense to double-wide owners), the golf carts were circa 1978, and the dining/bar area was about the size of a shoe box. So we're heading out to the first tee and they pair us up with one other person.......he said his name was......I thought Kyle but to be sure I asked him to repeat it...........his name was Kyle . He was from England and had spent the better part of the morning, waiting on his tee-time, nestled up to a pint or two at the bar. So on the first hole, I asked him if he would care for a beer?........he said no thanks and showed me his bag of beer already iced up in the cart. Needless to say we got along great. The course was in pretty good shape with the fairways being nicely maintained, water on many of the holes but the greens were a bit slow. One interesting thing about Kissimme Golf Club is that right in the middle of the course is a small airport! Two or three of the holes run along the tarmac. Its pretty wild hitting your drive then watching, what I think was a "mustang" take-off........you were right there............very cool. So we finish up and enjoyed the course and company so much that we decided to do it again the next day and Kyle was going to bring his wife this time. The next day was beautiful and there was Kyle and Helen, his wife. My wife and Helen rode together and Kyle and I rode together. Kyle is a good golfer. On the first hole he stripes one right down the middle. I say, "Man, nice shot Kyle!" Helen says, "who's Kyle? My wife and I look and each other and Helen says, "his name is Carl"! It damn near took us two holes to stop laughing. The day before he let us call him Kyle all day long. They were a ton of fun and from time to time we exchange e-mails to keep in touch. This is not a course you would consider great golf, but it was much more than that.......it was simply a great time, with very good people. I hope if you are in the area you will give Kissimmee Golf Club a try. It's a pretty fun course for the money. And if you are lucky, you will get to play with a couple of truly good, fun people. The costs range from $34-$59 depending upon the time of year. Check out their website. www.kissgolfclub.com As always, don't be a stranger leaving comments on other courses I absolutely, possitively must play.

Great Golf. Cacapon Golf Course, Berkley Springs, West Virginia

When we were kids we would take winter vacations between Christmas and New Years. We would pack up the station wagon and head to Berkley Springs, West Virginia. The place in particular is Cacapon State Park. I have 7 brothers and sisters and we would go up with several different families. Each family had there own cabin which came complete with a huge fireplace, heat, one bathroom and four bedrooms. Just in the back of the cabin were hiking trails and huge rock cliffs we could climb. There was also a lodge and in the lower level was a gameroom where we spent much of our Christmas money. We played football, and flashlight tag and if we were lucky it snowed. Because when it snowed we could sleigh-ride down the 9th hole at Cacapon Golf Course. Now that we are older, my brothers and some friends rented a couple rooms at the lodge and played a few rounds of golf. This course is fun, very fun and well groomed. Great scenic views from many of the tee boxes. The course is nestled between two mountain ranges and when your sitting on these tee boxes, during the fall leaf changes.........brothers and friends around, cold beer in my hand.....nothing better. The cost is in the range of $40-$55 including cart. By the way, I forgot to mention that this is a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf course.................very nice. Check out the website for more information www.cacaponresort.com. As always, please don't be shy to leave a comment. If you have played any courses you think are worthy......let us know......I can use a roadtrip.

Great Golf, Queenstown Harbor, Maryland

I live in a small town in north central Maryland. Fortunately, I also live within 30 minutes of about 5 different golf courses. Unfortunately, none of them rank as great golf in Maryland. We live about 2.5 hours from Ocean City, Maryland, an excellent resort town on the Atlantic. On the way there you drive by a golf course that is well known around our neck of the woods as being an exceptional course. They have two courses there, The Lakes and The River. I prefer the River Course. The last time we played Queenstown Harbor, which is owned by Atlantic Golf, was during a golf outing. The course is located on the Chester River off of the Chesapeake. As usual the course was in excellent shape with the fairways being nicely manicured and greens firm and fast. The nice thing about playing in most tournaments is the beverage cart. A good selection of adult beverages is always a nice diversion from a tasking day of golf. Queenstown Harbor always has a nice selection. The cost to play is not so bad either........ between $69 and $160 depending upon the time of year and day of the week. If you get an opportunity and you are in the area stop by for a quick 18. Check out the link to the course. www.mdgolf.com/courses/queenstownharbor/ As always let me know which courses you think are worthy of talking about. Nothing better than a roadtrip for golf.

Great Golf, Penn National Golf Course, Mont Alto, Pennsylvania

About 10 years ago a bunch of us tried to find the perfect golf spot that was within an hour or so of where we live. What I mean by perfect is this: 1) Needs to be close to home 2) MUST allow beer on the course 3) Lodging on the course....this is so we don't have to drive 4)Affordable.....I'll explain this 5) Great golf. Normally this is a tough order to fill. However, located in a small town in south central Pennsylvania called Mont Alto is a golf course called Penn National. (www.penngolf.com) Penn National has two seperate and distinct courses. The first is the Founders Course. This course is complete with tree lined fairways (always in great shape) and fast undulating greens. The second is Iron Forge. This is more wide open with tall grasses for rough. I guess you would call this a links course. There are very few trees but you must keep it in the fairway. The rough is......very rough. Normally we will stay the weekend to play a couple rounds on Saturday and then another on Sunday. As mentioned Penn National does not have a liquor license so they allow adult beverages on the course......always nice. As a matter of fact if you bring your cooler with beverage of choice, they are happy to fill it with ice for you. According to the club manager, Bill K, Penn National has the cleanest, most refreshing, mountain spring ice anywhere. The rooms are large and if we request, they will set up a poker table for us in the small meeting area that adjoins the rooms on each floor. The cost for three rounds of golf and cart, two nights lodging, a dinner and two breakfasts runs around three hundred bucks a man. If you are a decent player, a better negotiater, and pretty good at the poker table you may be able to cut that price in half. On the other hand if you stink all the way around, it could end up costing you double. Let us all in on the golf courses you think are worthy. Give me a reason to grab the guys and make the roadtrip.

Great Golf, TPC Canyons, Las Vegas, Nevada

When you are in Vegas for your annual deposit, check out the golf. There are a bunch of courses that are definitely worth playing. I am not the greatest golfer in the world but do love a good, challenging, non-gimmicky course. A tough one in Vegas would be TPC Canyons. As a rule of thumb, my golfing buddies and I don't like paying golf course prices for a cold beer. Because of this we will usually pack a few in our bags. The nice thing about playing golf in Vegas is that they normally will have a small cooler on the cart filled with ice. This is perfect for rotating our warming beer....although I'm not sure this was suppose to be the use. It works for us though. At first, from what I remember, the front nine seemed a bit docile. There were alot of nice narrow holes with fast greens.....very fast greens. I do recall one par three that you needed to hit a pretty accurate shot or you were in the desert. The fareways were in excellent shape and were having a great time. However, on the back nine and after several more reasonably priced beverages, we are staring at a 230 yard drive (carry) over this...well....canyon. It must have been 40-50 feet deep! The next hole was a long par 5 with what seemed to be 20 yard wide fairways all the way down. On the left were about 5 feet of rough and then out of bounds, on the right side was long canyon. This was a very fun golf course with many tough holes.........but definely worth the detour if in Vegas. Also, this course is a bit pricey. You may be able to find a deal on-line or give them a call to haggle. http://www.tpc.com/daily/the_canyons/index.html Share your best courses. Its always fun to talk about a great round of golf on a great course.

Great Golf, Wolf Creek Golf Course, Mesquite, Nevada

Alright, so my brother-in-law and I take a trip to Vegas going on five years running. He works at Southwest Airlines and we play in a charitable tournament each year in August......The Summer Sizzler. Yep, it's pretty damn hot. The good part is that you can play some pretty nice courses for almost nothing. So while in Vegas we will try and hit a few more courses. We have played the TPC Canyon, Paiute, Silverstone, Royal Links (crappy, gimicky), Boulder Creek, Tuscany, etc. We have played a lot of golf in and around Vegas. While hunting around for places to play, we came accross a course in Mesquite, Nevada....about an hour north of the strip. We arrived to Wolf Creek Golf Course in the heat of the day, beer as usual hidden in our bag, and ready to head to the first tee. There we are on the first tee and thinking what's the big deal?.......just another dessert course. So we hit our balls, finish the hole and head to the second tee. HOLY CRAP! .....you need mountain climbing boots to get to the tee, then its a dog-leg left through a chute of canyons! This place is nuts. The elevation changes are so severe, there are speed bumps on the cart paths. There are like five sets of tees, depending upon your handicap. It would be smart to use that guage..........the course is tough.....and from the tips.....long. We played from about the middle. The fairways at Wolf Creek Golf Course are typically narrow. There is very little rough before you get to dessert.......and as you may know, that is no mans land. Bad things live in there. Anyway, if you are heading to the Vegas area and want to play one tough-ass course, make the trip, it's fun.